My fav reads in 2009

A new year and time to start a fresh new list of the books I am reading.  Of the books I read in 2009 my fav reads were Breath by Tim Winton (adventure story, amazing writing, a few suprises, loved the beach and coastal imagery); My Driver by Maggie Gee (set in Uganda, quirky, great plot and characters, lots of laugh out loud moments, romance, drama); The Household Guide to Dying (a novel) by Debra Adelaide (again a bit quirky, funny, sad, family drama - great read); Vertigo (a novella) by Amanda Lohrey (short, evocative, moody, bushfire - fabulously written - made me feel like I was there in the story); and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (set in southern states of America, sad, funny, a bit spiritual and uplifting). 

The books I gave four stars to were also rave-worthy.  I was very lucky last year - I really didn't have read too many duds at all.  So here's my reading list for 2009 with my star rating:

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz **** (Australian author)
Breath by Tim Winton ****1/2 (Australian)
Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston **** (very motivating read!!)
Eating Chinese Food Naked by Mei NG ***
Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan ****
Mercy by Jodi Picoult ***1/2
My Cleaner by Maggie Gee ****
My Driver by Maggie Gee ****1/2
One Thousand Chestnut Trees by Mira Stout ***1/2
Rouseabout by Rachael Treasure ***1/2 (Australian)
Stranger by Anita Brookner ***
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne ****
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer ****
The Household Guide to Dying (a novel) by Debra Adelaide **** (Australian)
The Hunter's Wife by Katherine Scholes ***1/2 (Australian)
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood *** and 3/4
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville ***1/2 (Australian)
The Lost Children by Maggie Gee ***
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave ****
The Pages by Murray Bail ***1/2 (Australian)
The Road Home by Rose Tremain ****
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd ****1/2
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas **** (Australian)
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey ***3/4
The Young Widow's Book of Home Improvement by Virginia Lloyd **** (Australian)
Three Junes by Julie Glass ****
Vertigo (a novella) by Amanda Lohrey ****1/2 (Australian)
Wanting by Richard Flanagan **** (Australian)